A spiral separator for separating more-desired material from less-desired material has a feed arrangement for feeding a slurry of mixed more-desired material and less-desired material, a spiral trough, and a splitting arrangement for off-take of a concentrate band of more desired material, and the spiral trough is configured to provide an effective cross-trough floor slope of less than 8 degrees to horizontal in a turn immediately upstream of the splitting arrangement. The separator may be a multi-stage separator and include a slurry preparation apparatus between each pair of stages.

Systems and methods for separating heavier from lighter materials in mixed auto shredder residue (ASR) from end-of-life vehicles. Vehicles are shredded and the resulting mixed ASR is fed into a system that efficiently segregates heavier (typically metal) from lighter (typically plastic) pieces. The system has an inlet feed chute angled downward to a lower end over a separator tank filled with water. One or more nozzles configured to introduce water at a velocity into the separator tank create a flow of water across the tank to push smaller and lighter particles over an exit weir. Heavier particles sink toward a heavy matter removal conveyor having a lower end positioned within the separator tank so that the heavier particles are transported upward out of the separator tank. The heavy matter removal conveyor may be one or more Archimedes screws, a flat, ribbed or cleated conveyor, or a drag chain.

A washing apparatus comprises a screening apparatus having a first screening deck located below a second screening deck, wherein the first screening deck passes material that is larger than the material passed by the second screening deck. A liquid delivery system delivers liquid onto the first screening deck to wash material on the first deck. Material that passes through the first deck is conveyed upwards and delivered onto the second deck for dewatering. The apparatus is able to wash and dewater aggregate material in a single unit with a relatively small footprint and relatively high throughput.

A washing apparatus comprises a screening apparatus having a first screening deck located below a second screening deck, wherein the first screening deck passes material that is larger than the material passed by the second screening deck. A liquid delivery system delivers liquid onto the first screening deck to wash material on the first deck. Material that passes through the first deck is conveyed upwards and delivered onto the second deck for dewatering. The apparatus is able to wash and dewater aggregate material in a single unit with a relatively small footprint and relatively high throughput.

Disclosed is a process for separating suspended particles based on size. When confined in a tube, a bubble moves relative to the liquid as a small fraction of the liquid leaks backwards through a very thin gap between the bubble and the internal wall of the tube. The lubricating film formed around the bubble can be fine-tuned by simply changing the average flow speed. With this thin film of liquid, the confined air bubble can be used to separate particles in, for example, poly-disperse microspheres suspensions. As the bubble passes through the suspension, only particles smaller than the liquid gap thickness can leak through the gap towards the back of the bubble, resulting a filtered particle suspension containing only small particles at the back of the bubble. Compared to the traditional methods, this particle separation process is easy to perform, and is flexible in filtering different suspensions with one set-up. Due to the flexibility of the bubble interface and the special film thickness profile of a translating confined bubble, this process also avoids clogging, and can be easily adapted to, e.g., separate different poly-disperse suspensions based on size.

Disclosed is a process for separating suspended particles based on size. When confined in a tube, a bubble moves relative to the liquid as a small fraction of the liquid leaks backwards through a very thin gap between the bubble and the internal wall of the tube. The lubricating film formed around the bubble can be fine-tuned by simply changing the average flow speed. With this thin film of liquid, the confined air bubble can be used to separate particles in, for example, poly-disperse microspheres suspensions. As the bubble passes through the suspension, only particles smaller than the liquid gap thickness can leak through the gap towards the back of the bubble, resulting a filtered particle suspension containing only small particles at the back of the bubble. Compared to the traditional methods, this particle separation process is easy to perform, and is flexible in filtering different suspensions with one set-up. Due to the flexibility of the bubble interface and the special film thickness profile of a translating confined bubble, this process also avoids clogging, and can be easily adapted to, e.g., separate different poly-disperse suspensions based on size.

This invention relates to a classifier for separating particles by size and density and a method of classifying particles by size and density. The classifier, which is also used in the method, includes an underflow outlet for conveying a first product out of the classifier; a fluidising means for introducing a fluidisation fluid into the classifier; a settling chamber for forming a hindered-settling zone, the settling chamber being in fluid flow communication with the fluidising means and the underflow outlet; a reflux chamber for forming a free-settling zone, the reflux chamber being in fluid flow communication with the settling chamber and having a cross-sectional area larger than that of the settling chamber; a launder in fluid flow communication with the reflux chamber for conveying a second product to an overflow outlet of the classifier; and an inlet conduit which projects into the classifier for introducing a feedstock into the classifier.

This invention relates to a classifier for separating particles by size and density and a method of classifying particles by size and density. The classifier, which is also used in the method, includes an underflow outlet for conveying a first product out of the classifier; a fluidising means for introducing a fluidisation fluid into the classifier; a settling chamber for forming a hindered-settling zone, the settling chamber being in fluid flow communication with the fluidising means and the underflow outlet; a reflux chamber for forming a free-settling zone, the reflux chamber being in fluid flow communication with the settling chamber and having a cross-sectional area larger than that of the settling chamber; a launder in fluid flow communication with the reflux chamber for conveying a second product to an overflow outlet of the classifier; and an inlet conduit which projects into the classifier for introducing a feedstock into the classifier.

A compact hydraulic particle separator apparatus is disclosed. The disclosed apparatus comprises an upper chamber and a lower chamber separated by a partition. A liquid fluid flow upwelling through the partition from the lower chamber is caused to mix with tangential jet of fluid flowing introduced above the partition in the upper chamber produces an upwardly-flowing cyclonic flow within the upper chamber. Particle mixtures containing low- and high-density particles and other solids are introduced into the upper chamber through a feed tube having a mouth that is offset from the center of the upper chamber. Low-density particles are immediately entrained in the cyclonic flow and swept upward and exit the apparatus.

A field-flow fractionation device includes a separation channel, a carrier fluid supplier, a separation membrane, a waste liquid chamber, a cross-flow flow rate adjuster, and a carrier fluid adder. The carrier fluid adder is configured to add, to a flow of a carrier fluid having passed through the separation membrane, a flow of another carrier fluid at a carrier fluid adding position set on an upstream side of the cross-flow flow rate adjuster so that the flow rate of the carrier fluid flowing into the cross-flow flow rate adjuster is larger than the flow rate of the carrier fluid having passed through the separation membrane.